If you bought a Garmin watch, you already have Garmin Connect, the free app where your runs, sleep and training stats land. In March 2025 Garmin added a paid tier called Connect+, and many runners now wonder if the free app is being cut back. It is not. Here is what stays free, what Connect+ adds, and what it costs in the US, UK and Australia, as of November 2026.
Garmin Connect free vs Connect+
| Feature | Free | Connect+ |
|---|---|---|
| Sync runs, sleep and health data from your Garmin watch | ||
| Run history, maps, pace, heart rate and training stats | ||
| Create and save your own routes | ||
| Garmin Coach training plansConnect+ adds extra coach videos and tips | ||
| Badges and challengesConnect+ adds exclusive ones | ||
| Gear tracking (miles on your shoes) | ||
| Share to Apple Health and Strava | ||
| Active Intelligence (AI insights) | ||
| Custom performance dashboard | ||
| Expanded LiveTrack (text alerts, profile page) | ||
| Live Activity for indoor workouts on your phone | ||
| Trails+, 3D maps and nutrition trackingAdded in 2025–2026 |
From Garmin’s Connect+ announcement (28 March 2025), Cycling Weekly (28 March 2025), the the5krunner Connect+ review (updated 28 October 2026) and the Garmin Connect App Store listing, checked November 2026.
When it launched Connect+, Garmin promised that all existing features and data in Garmin Connect would stay free. Since then, new paid extras have been added (Trails+, 3D maps, food logging), but the free side has also grown: improved gear tracking reached all users in February 2026, according to the5krunner.
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How much is Garmin Connect+? (November 2026)
| Plan | US | UK | Australia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garmin Connect app | Free | Free | Free |
| Connect+ monthly | $6.99 | £6.99 | A$12 |
| Connect+ yearly | $69.99 | £69.99 | A$120 |
| Free trial | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
Prices from Garmin’s announcement and the5krunner (as of October 2026). Check the app before you pay, as prices can change and tax may be added.
- Yearly saves a little. 12 months at $6.99 is $83.88, so the yearly plan saves about $14.
- Try before you pay. The 30-day trial is long enough to test the AI insights and dashboard during a training block.
- Monthly can be smarter. the5krunner suggests paying monthly only in the months you use a paid feature.
Is Garmin Connect+ worth it?
For most runners, no, not yet. The free app already shows your runs, training load, routes and Garmin Coach plans. the5krunner’s long-term review (April 2026) found two real reasons to pay: live on-phone tracking for strength and HIIT workouts, and built-in food logging for people who already pay for a separate nutrition app. If neither sounds like you, the free app is enough.
Can you use Garmin Connect without a Garmin?
Not really. The App Store listing ties its main features to pairing a Garmin device, such as a Forerunner, Venu or fēnix, and the iPhone app needs iOS 18.2 or later. Without a Garmin you can log runs by hand, but there is no automatic syncing. If you run with just your phone, a phone-first app is a better fit:
| App | Price (US) | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Garmin Connect | Free; Connect+ $69.99/yr | A Garmin watch or bike computer |
| Strava | Free; subscription $79.99/yr | Phone or any watch |
| Nike Run Club | Free | Phone or Apple Watch |
| ASICS Runkeeper | Free; GO $39.99/yr | Phone |
| Run&Grow | Free to download on iPhone | iPhone; reads runs from Apple Health |
Strava, Nike Run Club and Runkeeper prices from their US App Store listings and strava.com/subscribe, as of October 2026.
Garmin Connect in the UK and Australia
The free app works the same everywhere. Only Connect+ pricing changes: £6.99 a month or £69.99 a year in the UK, and A$12 or A$120 in Australia. If you run parkrun, your Garmin records the run for free and your official time still comes from parkrun. Want to know how your time compares? See is a 1-hour 10K good and is a 30-minute 5K good.
Free apps that work alongside Garmin
Sharing runs with friends · Free; subscription $79.99/yr
Strava (free account)
Garmin can send your runs to Strava automatically. The free account gives you a feed, kudos and clubs; routes and full leaderboards are paid.
Pick it if: you want the social side Garmin Connect does not really have.
Free audio coaching · Free
Nike Run Club
No subscription at all. Guided Runs and training plans in many countries, recorded on your phone or Apple Watch.
Pick it if: you do not own a Garmin and want free coaching.
Simple phone tracking · Free; GO $39.99/yr
ASICS Runkeeper
A clean GPS tracker with audio cues. Free for tracking, with an optional GO upgrade.
Pick it if: you want a plain tracker on your phone.
Staying consistent · Free to download on iPhone
Run&Grow
Every run grows a plant in your garden. It reads runs from Apple Health, so Garmin runs that Garmin Connect shares to Apple Health can count too. No public feed, no pace shaming.
Pick it if: you keep stopping and starting and want a gentle reason to go again.
The Garmin Connect App Store listing says it can sync with Apple Health. Turn that on, and runs from your Garmin can count in Run&Grow too, growing a plant in your garden for every run. Run&Grow has no watch app of its own; it simply reads runs from Apple Health. For more options, see our Strava alternatives, the best free running apps and the best Apple Watch running apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Garmin Connect free?
- Yes. The Garmin Connect app is free to download and has no required subscription. Everything that was in the app before March 2025 stayed free when Garmin launched its optional paid tier, Connect+.
- How much is Garmin Connect+?
- As of November 2026 Connect+ costs $6.99 a month or $69.99 a year in the US, £6.99 or £69.99 in the UK, and A$12 or A$120 in Australia. New users get a 30-day free trial.
- Is Garmin Connect+ worth it?
- For most runners, not yet. The free app already has your runs, stats, routes and Garmin Coach plans. Connect+ adds AI insights, a custom dashboard, better LiveTrack and extras like nutrition tracking. A long-term review by the5krunner (April 2026) said it is mainly worth it for live strength workouts or food logging.
- Can you use Garmin Connect without a Garmin watch?
- Only in a limited way. The app is built around a Garmin device, such as a Forerunner, Venu or fēnix. Without one you can log activities by hand, but you lose automatic syncing and most health tracking. If you only have a phone, a phone-first app like Strava, Nike Run Club or Runkeeper fits better.
- Is Garmin Coach free?
- Yes. Garmin Coach training plans are part of the free app. Connect+ only adds extra coach videos and tips on top of the plans.
A free reason to keep running
Run&Grow turns every run into a plant, including Garmin runs shared to Apple Health. Free on iPhone.
Free on iPhone · Also on Android